December 2011
In the COP17 side events “we see a lot of hope, solutions and activities at the side events of a positive nature which completely bely the negative vibes coming out of the negotiations themselves,” says Saleemul Huq, IIED’s Senior Fellow in the Climate Change group.
“When talking to the converted...we’re looking for depth. When we’re talking to others... we need simple messages” and to tell stories that people can relate to, says Liz Carlile, Director of Communications at the International Institute for Environment and Development.
Closed negotiations have begun at the UN Climate Change conference. Parties are looking at two key issues behind closed doors: national adaptation plans and loss and damage.
This video update from Saleemul Huq, Saleemul Huq, IIED’s Senior Fellow in IIED's Climate Change group, discusses the two-day side event organised by IIED taking place this weekend in Durban.
James Mayers, the head of IIED's natural resources group, discusses key themes being discussed at the UN Climate Negotiations’ forest day in Durban, South Africa.
It’s too early to talk about the end-game in the 17th conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks that are underway in Durban. But amid the shifting diplomatic sands of talks and texts, there are signs that some of the ground is starting to solidify.
The D and C film competition organiser and facilitator Justin Benn talks about the winning and top four films in this video.
Mattias Søderberg from Dan Church Aid, who collected the prize on behalf of the 'Ripples' film maker, talks about what winning the film competition means to him and his organisation in this video.
Tell me a fact and I'll learn. Tell me a truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever. Indian Proverb
Stories matter. The first session of the Climate Communications Day for journalists and media specialists at the UN Climate talks in Durban focused on the importance of telling stories to get the right messages out. A good story has accurate information, but – crucially – it also has a personal angle. The trick, to quote Randy Olson, is getting fact and emotion together to tell an engaging story. How the story gets told depends on what needs to be communicated, who we are talking to, and what medium we are using.
“It is a call for a fundamental reorientation of how societies work and govern themselves.” That’s what one blogger Jeff Kelly Lowenstein has said about IIED’s new book Virtuous Circles: Values, systems and sustainability by Andy Jones, Michel Pimbert and Janice Jiggins. Launched two weeks ago, we asked you to tell us what you thought. Thanks to those of you who have blogged already – and if you haven’t, it’s not too late.